Analysis Of A Therapeutic Approach For Treating A Veteran

Introduction

The basis of this paper is to examine five episodes of tape reviews and analyze a therapeutic approach for treating a veteran coming back from Iraq 10 months ago, in which he appears to be suffering from PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Episode 1

Levy’s perception, when confronted by his wife about his excessive drinking and depression, is that “I am sick. ” His wife pleaded with him to go upstairs so that his children don't see him within a hungover state. His tone became aggressive and confrontational with his spouse. He blames his problem on the Iraq war. Alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a disease that 18 million Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). It appears that Mr. Levy is in denial of his alcohol abuse and alcoholism, which can be a significant problem within his family.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) can destroy his marriage and drive a wedge between family members. Alcoholism can or will cause financial issue, verbal or physical abuse, neglect of children, and some serious health problems. In time, family members can develop some symptoms of codependency; even it is harmful to his family. Mr. Levy should seek family therapy and rehab.

Episode 2

Mr. Levy's social worker was excited about his case; however, before encountering the client, she appeared eager to initiate yoga, meditation, and art therapy for his session. Her perception of Mr. Levy was that he had PTSD, he recently got back from the Iraq war, he is young (age 31), and she usually sees older clients with PTSD. The social worker supervisor's inquiries were proper for this circumstance because he wanted her to meet her client first before addressing his issues; always prioritize the client’s needs first. He questioned her what she knew about the research on yoga, art therapy, and how effective are they in the line of evidence-based.

Mr. Levy's social worker enabled him to talk unreservedly about his experiences in Iraq, and she analyzed his emotional state of mind. She reacted adequately when Mr. Levy demonstrated extraordinary reflection on his experience in Iraq, which was causing him distressed, and she reassured him that he was in a safe place. The treatment session appeared to be going well. The specialist enabled Mr. Levy to talk uninhibitedly to recognize his emotional stressor. She told him she would like to introduce him to a breathing treatment and exposure therapy, in which she explained to him how it worked. The client agreed to proceed with the breathing treatment and participated with the exposure therapy. Breathing therapy can beneficial to him whenever he finds himself in a stressful situation.

Episode 3

My perception of Mr. Levy’s therapist was impressive. I thought she took the advice of her supervisor by putting the client’s needs first. A psychotherapist should be effective, and psychotherapy needs to be provided in a way that meets a set of well-defined criteria. Clients should feel that their therapist can be trustworthy. The clients should be able to explain their symptoms and adapt this explanation as circumstances change. I agreed with the therapist that exposure therapy could be beneficial for Mr. Levy.

The way you breathe can affect the whole body. Deep breathing exercises are one of the best ways to help decrease stress in your body. It works by sending a message to your brain to relax and calm you down. Therefore, the brain now sends that message to your body. Breathing exercises are excellent ways to help you reduce tension, assist in relaxation, and decrease stress.

Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that was established to help people confront their fears. I agreed with the therapist that exposure therapy could be beneficial for Mr. Levy to help with his PTSD. According to research, exposure therapy is considered a behavioral treatment for a client who has PTSD. Exposure therapy targets learned behaviors that an individual engages in, mostly the avoidance in their response to situations or thought memories that can be viewed as anxiety providing and frightening.

Episode 4

Listening to Mr. Levy’s traumatic event in Iraq was very overwhelming and heartbreaking. He explained seeing his soldier sergeant waist blown off, and the agonizing pain that he might have been in; perceived by a screaming sound he never heard before. Mr. Levy blames himself for not shooting his friend by putting him out of his misery. He acknowledges that he is drinking a lot to hide his pain. An excellent point he stated, “I left Iraq 10 months ago, but Ira never left me. ” Yes, I do agree that exposure treatment would be beneficial for him and it is probably a great idea to get his wife into therapy with him as well.

Episode 5

The therapist ought to be informed that she needs to keep her emotional boundaries up to stay away from countertransference that could adversely influence the therapeutic relationship. Mr. Levy’s wife is pregnant, and the therapist was concerned that she could not picture him with a newborn; it scared her. The therapist wondered if Mr. Levy could deal with it. I would educate the therapist about the client confidentiality, and the only reason to break the patient confidentiality in this circumstance is if Mr. Levy reports suicide/homicide, and child abuse.

Conclusion

It is essential that VA and VA Center clinicians perceive that the skills and experience that they have created in working with veterans with chronic PTSD will work well for them with those coming back from the Iraq war. These clinicians have expertise in discussing the traumatic, teaching skills of anger and anxiety management, and educating the clients and families about traumatic stressors. Facilitating mutual support among groups of veterans, and working with trauma-related guilt, will also be useful and applicable.